Banana Bioactives: Absorption, Utilisation and Health Benefits

*Rinah K. Netshiheni, Adewale O. Omolola, Tonna A. Anyasi and Afam I.O. Jideani*

## **Abstract**

Banana is an important fruit consumed globally and cultivated in humid and subtropical climes. The fruit comprises nutrients in its pulp and peel with beneficial properties. Banana in its unripe form, consists of indigestible compounds, resistant starch and dietary fibres. The starchy fruit degrades to fructose and sucrose when ripe, thus reducing its starch content. Aside its carbohydrate profile, essential macro and micro minerals, vitamins and phenolic compounds are other nutrients present in pulp and peel of the fruit. Resistant starch, an indigestible compound available in banana fruit, escapes absorption in the small intestine and is transported to the large intestine where digestion takes place. This occurrence makes banana a preferred fruit for consumers suffering from diabetes. Polyphenols, present in minute concentration in the fruit, functions as antioxidants, thus contributing immensely to the prevention of metabolic degenerative diseases. This chapter further examines available nutrients present in banana fruit, their absorption and utilisation in the body. The chapter also brings to the fore, the health benefits of consumption of ripe, unripe and processed banana products.

**Keywords:** banana, bioactives, nutrigenomics, antioxidants, banana utilisation

## **1. Introduction**

#### **1.1 Overview on banana**

Banana is one of the world's most important fruit consumed globally. The fruit (**Figure 1**) grows well in a scale of about 1000 m altitude and sometimes even in the subtropics with higher altitudes. Its name *Musa* is derived from the word "*Mouz*" which is an Arabic name. The name was given to banana plant to honour a Roman physician named *Antonia Musa* who lived in the first century [1]. Sadia and Azizuddin [1] reported that *Musa* belongs to the family *Musaceae* and is divided into four edible cultivars namely: *Rhodochlamys, Eumusa, Callimusa* and *Australimusa*. There are presently diploid, triploid or tetraploid genome groups with the main genome groups represented as AA, AB, AAA, AAB and ABB [1]. Plantain, a cultivated banana variety and often referred to as the cooking-type banana is obtained from *Musa acuminata* (genome "A") and *Musa balbisiana* (genome "B") species [2]. Plantain belongs to the AAB genome, while the commercial export market Cavendish subgroup consists of the AAA genome [1]. Cooking and dessert banana contain substantial amount of nutrients thus qualifying the fruit to be the world's

**Figure 1.** *The diversity of banana and plantains with various genome compositions [2].*

fourth leading agricultural crop [3]. Banana is said to be among human foods which was introduced in the first century. The fruit is cultivated in more than 130 countries throughout tropical and subtropical regions with over a harvested area of approximately 10 million hectares [4]. Furthermore, countries in Latin America such as Ecuador and Columbia have been reported to be major producers of the fruit, while the United States and European Union import the highest amounts of banana [4].

Plantains when compared with unripe dessert bananas differ in terms of plantains being larger in size, possessing more finger body mass and also having higher starch content [5]. Plantains are economically important and serve as a major staple food [6] in some countries such as India and other countries of Latin America and African origin [3]. Plantains are considered as a very important source of energy and starch [7] and are described as sweet acid starchy bananas majorly consumed upon frying or boiling [3]. Similarly, dessert banana serves as a source of energy for athletes due to its potential benefits for sports application [1]. Hence, in some countries, the fruit is used in the production of a variety of energy drinks as well as dried banana bars for athletes. In addition, the fruit also prevents athletes from muscular contractions as it contains significant amount of vitamins and minerals [8]. The works of Doymaz [9] and Pareek [10] showed that banana and plantain contains low amount of protein and substantial amounts of carbohydrates (hemicellulose, starch and pectin), vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. Dessert and cooking banana plant parts: roots, leaves, flowers, stem and pseudostems have long being used in traditional and indigenous medicine due to their therapeutic properties in various countries of the world such as Africa, America, Asia and Oceania [11]. These beneficial plant parts have been employed in the treatment of various ailments such as snakebite, inflammation, intestinal colitis, dysentery and diarrhoea [8]. Presently, several authors have investigated the potential of banana in mitigating type I and II diabetes mellitus [9, 12], its role in the inhibition of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase), glucose absorption [13] and its antioxidant activity [14]. Compared with plantain, most available reports are on changes in chemical composition of dessert banana cultivars during ripening [5, 15–17]. Plantains are rich in nutrients and their biochemical composition varies with growth stage and maturity [5]. Overall, pulp and peel of both cooking and dessert banana can serve as natural sources of amine compounds, antioxidants, carotenoids and polyphenols [11].

Production of banana can be limited by biotic and abiotic stress factors. Thus, improving the nutritional quality, ability of the fruit to adapt to different geographical conditions and production of new disease resistant varieties using genetic engineering are very important [18]. The science behind genetic modification of bananas therefore aims at increasing productivity and nutritional value and this could be one of the sustainable strategies to address food insecurity in the near future [19].

**29**

*Source: [10].*

**Table 1.**

*Banana Bioactives: Absorption, Utilisation and Health Benefits*

Banana and plantain consist of a high nutritional value (**Table 1**) which contributes to an improved absorption of numerous nutrients with minimal fat absorption [18]. Bananas are effective in maintaining plasma glucose and possibly improving endurance exercise performance [20]. Banana fruit is a rich source of phytochemicals, including unsaturated fatty acids and sterols. In the works of Wall [21], composition of 'Dwarf Brazil' banana was reported to be 12.7 mg/100 g vitamin C, 12.4 mg/100 g retinol activity equivalent (RAE) vitamin A, 17.9% total soluble solids (TSS) and a moisture content of 68.5%. Wall [21] further reported concentrations of 4.5 mg/100 g vitamin C, 8.2 mg RAE/100 g vitamin A, 20.5% TSS and moisture content of 73.8% for 'Williams' banana cultivar with the author also showing that cultivars of banana have different nutrient concentrations. An average-sized banana was found to contain 450–467 mg of potassium (K) [22]. Banana is rich in fibre with a medium-sized banana containing about 6 g of fibre. Dessert and cooking banana have been implicated to contain vitamin B, C, macro and micro essential minerals, α- and β-carotene as well as higher concentrations of lutein than provitamin A pigments [20] and all in varying concentrations. As stated in the works of Pareek [10], it was reported in Hawaii that 'Apple' bananas

AA 'Inarbinal', 'Paka', 'Matti', 'Anakomban', 'Pisang Jari Buaya', 'Pisang Lilin', 'Senorita', 'Kadali',

AAA 'Ambon', 'Cavendish' ('Dwarf Cavendish', 'Giant Cavendish', 'Grand Naine', 'Williams'), 'Gros

BBB 'Abuhon', 'Inabaniko', 'Lap Chang Kut', 'Mundo', 'Saba Sa Hapon', 'Saba', 'SabangPoti',

AAB 'False Horn' ('French', 'French Horn'), 'Laknau', 'Maia Maoli', 'Moongil', 'Mysore'

Ana', 'Virupakshi'), 'Popoulu', 'Ilohena', 'Rasthali', 'Silk'

AB 'Kunnan' ('Adukkan', 'Poonkalli', 'PoovillaChundan'), 'Ney Poovan' ('Kisubi', 'Safed Velchi'),

ABB 'Bluggoe' ('NallaBontha', 'Pisang Batu', 'Punda'), 'Pisang Awak' ('KlueNamwa', 'Karpuravalli', 'PeyKunnan', 'Yawa'), 'Monthan', 'Peyan', 'KlueTeparot', 'Pelipita', 'Kalapua', 'Cardaba'

Michel' ('Cocos', 'Highgate', 'Lowgate'), 'Ibola', 'Basrai', 'Lujugira-Mutika' ('Beer', 'Musakala', 'Nakabulu', 'Nakitembe', 'Nfunka'), 'Pisang MasakHijau' ('Lacatan'), 'Red' ('Green Red'),

('Sugandhi'), 'Nendran', 'Pisang Raja', 'Plantain Horn', 'Pome' ('Pachanadan', 'Pacovan', 'Prata

'Sucrier' ('KulaiKhai', 'Lady's Finger', 'Orito', 'Pisang Mas')

'Robusta' ('Harichal', 'Malbhog')

BB 'Bhimkol', 'Biguihan', 'Gubao', 'Pa-a-Dalaga', 'Tani'

'SukaliNdizi' ('Kumarangasenge')

'Turrangkog'

AABB 'Kalamagol', 'Laknau Der',

ABBT 'Giant Kalapur', 'Yawa 2'

AS 'Aso', 'Kokor', 'Ungota', 'Vunamami'

AAT 'Kabulupusa', 'Karoina', 'Mayalopa', 'Sar'

ABBB 'Bhat Manohar'

*Musa cultivars by genomic classification.*

AT 'Umbubu'

Unkown 'Fei'

**2. Nutritional composition of banana fruit**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83369*

**Genome Cultivars**

AAAA 'Pisang Ustrali'

AAAB 'Atan'
